Too many powers? What's your solution?

I love my mind/psi but the problem i face already at level 10 is i'm running out of buttons for my powers.

so far i'm using `12345
side mouse button to turn on/off sprint
middle mouse click will be either jetpack or combat jump/super jump

using the WASD setup now things get far 6-0 and using shift, control, alt make you have to tilt your wrist which can hurt after hours of play.

Hit your right alt key twice. Now set the second one to 2 and the third to 3. The middle one is LeftAlt-number, the top is Control-number.

You can create additional trays. Up to 10, in fact. Binds, as well.
Edit: Like so:

See my Guides and Tutorials

I've hit this problem on a few of my characters, and in some cases, it has been helpful to make use of /macros in conjunction with /popmenu.

This thread should get you started: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showt...=magic+popmenu

I've used it to put all of my Masterminds' summons into one button on the bar, all of my Tanker/Brute's shields into one button, etc.

Three stacked trays. With vet powers, two Wentworth's porters, temp powers, and macros, those can start overflowing, in which case I make a fourth (square) tray to sit between my chat window and the power bar, holding all my rarely-used stuff like teleportation powers.

i think i like that setup with the bar to the right instead of the middle like i have it. then you can use the mouse to click as well and it's off to the side out of the way

I've always used 1-5, Alt+1 - Alt+4 (Alt+5 is kinda hard to reach), and Shift+1 - Shift +5 more most of frequent-use powers. I can't stand reaching across the keyboard for 6-0, so I just click those powers. (That's usually where I keep my toggles.)

Edit: That and I have two side buttons on my mouse, so I usually bind Button4 to my travel power, Shift+Button4 to sprint, Button5 to some form of healing power (Reconstruction on my scrapper, Transfusion on my Kin, etc), and Shift+Button5 to some other important power. (Speed Boost on my Kin).

I have the following set-up I use on all of my characters. I actually use keybinds which are defined to access macros in trays 3-8. This enables me to customize the binds to my individual characters, using the same key for Super Jump for jumpers and Flying for fliers, for instance:

LControl - Always turns on Sprint with first press. Two presses may turn on a ground power, like Super Speed or Ninja Run. If not, or after turning on Super Speed, the next press turns all run powers off.

RControl - Activates flying/jumping/teleport power. Teleport will also zoom out the camera and turn on auto-Teleport. (Reticle appears, click to teleport and reticle stays for the next click) Usually second press will turn it off, but in some cases I will switch to a second movement power, like LControl. Occasionally (like with the Hover/Fly bind) it will always switch to Hover and never turn it off, for those characters I use LControl to land.

END - Always activates Rest.

Spacebar - In addition to jumping, if the character has Combat Jumping and it is off, turns it on. I have no key to turn off CJ. (The End cost is so low I see no reason to)

Up Arrow - For characters with both Hover and Fly, I will switch to Fly automatically when I press a movement key, and back to Hover when I release it. This means I need a second key for taking off while running, so it takes me directly to Fly instead of Hover.

That pretty much eliminates Sprint, Rest, and all travel powers. Then I simply use the number keys for the basic powers:

1-5 - Attacks
0 - Always either Taunt, Confront or Placate, a self heal, or something like PFF. For Blasters, usually Build Up, for Dominators my Domination macro. (which activates Domination and switches costumes at the same time)
7-9 - Defenses, either toggles or click powers
Aim/Build Up is usually in either 6 or 7, depending if I have more attacks or more defenses. For Blasters Aim and Build Up are 9 and 0. My Sniper attack also is often in 6 or 7.

+ and - then act as two additional keys for defenses, plus ALT-+ and ALT--. My "godmode" power is usually +. I'll put the self heal in - if it is not in 0.

F12 is always a Taunt keybind that generates a custom chat text for that character, in combination with his Taunt. (Or Confront or Provoke, if applicable)

F11 is mapped to tray 9, slot 1 so I can drop a Temp power there.

Finally, I will usually map at least one location targetted power (like Caltrops, or Recall Friend) to ALT-click. Pressing ALT causes the reticle to appear, so all I have to do is press ALT and click. I then don't need the power in the tray.

For Masterminds, Shift-click sends my "offensive team" (a subset of my henchmen in Aggressive stance) to the location clicked. I have other commands mapped to keys U, I, O and J, K, L. It's similar to the numberpad bind posted her, but simplified.

And I usually keep a second tray open with powers I can click on. If I have powers mapped to + or -, or Alt-Click that I need to watch the recharge on I'll put them here too. I also use Inspirations by clicking on them, I never use the keypad.

Like you, I have trouble hitting the 7-0 keys when moving with WASD, but that's why the powers there are mostly toggle powers that I don't have to hit that often. I can still hit 0, F12 or F11 pretty rapidly, though, since I use them so much. I'll alternate between that and using the mouse.

I will add that Dominators specifically, even more than Blasters, seem to end up using up trays on lots of attack powers. I usually end up with more attacks than I plan to use, and keep some of them in the backup tray. Having to use up an extra slot on Domination hurts a bit, of course, but I'll also often pick up the Sniper attack, but use it only to open the attack. So I'll click it in the secondary tray and then return to the number keys for the rest of the fight.

Get a Razer Naga.... It has a 1 to 12 keypad/number pad on the mouse it self. You can bind the keys to any keyboard key (Or a macro), but the standard keys are 1 to '=' (aka 12) and the number pad.

Here's a link to the product:
http://store.razerzone.com/store/raz...oryId.35208800

The only bad sides about it, is that its a bit small in size, and the 'back'/'forward' buttons take a while to get use to.

i usually use 1-5 or 6 for ST attacks, alt+1-5 for AoEs, 0 for super speed/jump.

second bar on the right is for toggles, as well as 3rd bar in general

i usually bind commonly used power ups (BU, Aim, PB, etc) to T and V, and a self heal to G.

I use 1-5 for short recharge normal attacks, anything on a longer recharge will go to tray 2 and I will manually click it.

f Ninja Run
v Sprint
c any PBAoE
~ most used offensive toggle or PBAoE
t offensive toggle or AoE attack
F1-F4 for click powers, usually pet summons

Warshade is a whole 'nother thing - I use numpad keys to switch forms, so powers are binded there as well.

So for my mind/psi atm, I have T with Psy Scream, C with Shockwave, ~ with Drain Psyche, 1-4 with Mes/Dom/Subdue/Mind Probe.

On 2nd tray is Confuse/Poisonous Ray/AoE controls that I can just click when needed.

I use CTRL + (Number) and ALT + (Number) for all my powers. Then I create a fourth tray for Ouro, and all my vet powers and anything else that I don't use very often. (Walk, etc.)

If you're struggling for keys (and I can fully understand this on a Dominator) I'd suggest taking sprint off one of your mouse buttons.

Set up another key to turn it on (e.g. right arrow) and have your typical opening attack turn it off. eg

/bind 1 "powexec_slot 1$$powexectoggleoff sprint"

wow some great ideas here. couldnt i also use the side mouse buttons to take place of alt and control?

/bind button4+1 "powexec_name etc...
/bind button4+2 etc...

I tend to do something like this:

1-5 (maybe 6) - ST attacks, ST controls, AE attacks if there's room
alt+1-4 - AE attacks, Build Up/Aim, some debuffs/AE controls
Ctrl+1-7 - more debuffs/AE controls, taunts, heals, other clicky buffs (eg AM, MoG etc), toggles I turn on/off regularly and/or are disabled when stunned/held etc (eg damage auras)

6 and 7 - Brawl and sometimes Blackwand/Nem Staff once I've taken them out of my normal atack cycle
alt+5-8 - Occasional use things that I'm OK clicking on or have binds for but want on my hotbars for reference
Ctrl+7 or 8 - Popmenu > Defensive toggles

Numpad 0 - ST heal or ST buff
Numpad . - ST buff
Numpad 1-8 - target teammate 1-8

Travel powers:
8 - GvE Jump Pack
9 - <travel power> (more for quick reference if it's on or not)
10 - <CJ or Hover> (ditto)
f - toggle between travel power and CJ/Hover
shift+f - sprint (tend not to use much beyond the early game, but the bind is fixed into my defaults now)

Ctrl+0 - Rest
Ctrl+9 - Mystic Fortune
Alt+0 - Secondary Mutation
Alt+9 - Self Destruct
I usually click these

Quickbar 4 (6x2 in the top left corner of my screen):
Teleports (Pocket D, Mission, Oro etc)
Recall Friend, Summon Teammates etc
Temp/Day Job travel powers
Veteran pets
Popmenu > CC emotes

Mouse buttons 4 and 5 are for target cycling

The only character I really have problem on is, yes, my dominator. Few toggles and lots of powers I want easy access to.

There are also some variations, such as my DB/SR scrapper has 1 as BF, 2-4 as AV combo, alt+1-3 as Sweep combo.

If I think about it, I might do a full screenshot of my UI setup when I get home...

I have my "bread and butter" attacks on numbers 1-4. If I have a Build-Up-like power, it's always number 5. If I have attacks that I use often but not all the time, they are on alt+1-4. I have all these powers in my tray, but rarely click on them, instead using the trays primarily to monitor recharge.

Things like my armor/mez protection toggles (when I have them) end up in the third tray and thus bound to control+number. When I have a self heal, I bind it to the tilde key, and if I have two, I bind one to alt+tilde.

My travel powers are always bound to my mouse side buttons, using binds that will cycle between them where appropriate. For example, I have one button that will cycle between hover/fly or CJ/superjump. For fliers, I also have a mouse button bound that will turn off hover/fly and turn on sprint.

Esoteric things that I don't use very often but want to have handy are put on extra trays. As mentioned, you can have up to 10 trays. If you want a new one, click the "+" on your regular trays and you'll be given a new, "floating" one. I now have three additional trays open on most of my characters, with ones at the top of the screen holding things like temp powers and various teleporters and Ouroboros. When I want to use these things, I click on them with the mouse.

Edit: I don't think you can use "regular" keys as modifiers the way you can alt, shift and control. However, you can use modifiers with your mouse buttons. (Alt+Button1 for example.)

crap there goes that idea

well, i guess i could setup buttons 4 and 5 to use popmenus so then it would kinda work the same way

i got some thinking to do

Well, with all characters other than controllers and warshades, I always have at least a few staple attacks. These go on keys 1-7ish, with ST attacks coming before AoEs. This takes care of the powers I hit most often. After that, it comes down to finding easy ways to keep track of and activate the rest of my useful powers.

I have two side buttons on my mouse, so I typically bind up to 4 useful and frequently used non-attacks to button4, shift+button4, button5, and shift+button5 (I don't use control and alt because they're harder to reach). This typically includes things like buildup/aim, self heals, end sapping stuff like power sink, holds, taunt, etc. If the character has a ST hold, it *always* goes on button4. Usually the mouse buttons are sufficient, but on especially busy characters I sometimes bind things to Q and E as well.

My travel power is always bound to G. H is often bound to the prereq, although occasionally it's something else (such as hibernate on my dom). Long recharge occasional use powers like godmodes usually go on 8 or 9. 0 is almost always rest.

In general, powers that I want to monitor but don't have to activate with the number keys (toggles, powers bound to various other keys/buttons, etc) go on tray 2 where I can see them but they're out of the way. Tray 3, which is not usually open but is accessed by holding control, usually contains potentially useful temp powers like pets. Tray 4, which is one of the pop-out mobile trays, runs vertically along the right side of the screen and contains mostly travel-related powers (jetpacks, sprint, various and sundry teleports, etc) along with fortune and occasionally other useful temps.

For the vast majority of characters, this setup allows me to easily access almost every power they have. The only real deviations from this are controllers (who don't have an attack set) and warshades (which are just weird). Those would be a whole 'nother post.

I do a complete remapping of my powers. I use 1-5 numbers then i use basically any button that is close to teh WSAD keys. I always have Q, E, R (i move auto run), T, C, F, Z, X, and `. Some of the keys i use less frequently i will put as ctrl + key. It sometimes gets confusing but once you get used to it you got it. I use some buttons on my mouse as well but one is for vent and the other is used depending on the character.

sounds great

gonna setup zxcvb for my next 1-5 and some rftg in there as well - i already use the `

if i remember the action bar doesnt show zxcvb right ? it's always going to show 12345 etc.. for each

if that's the case i'll just have to remember what's what

(edit) awesome my death adder mouse allows me to change buttons 4 and 5 to alt and control making for a nice bar 2 and 3

Might I sugest the Razer Naga. (Hint, click the pic)